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The days of paper stacks and rows of filing cabinets are behind us, replaced with digital files neatly stored in the cloud. Business documents nowadays are almost entirely digital, which enables a host of extra features that make day-to-day tasks much easier. Read on to learn everything you need to know about document tracking services, including what they are, key features you should look for, and how using document tracking software can benefit your business.
Document tracking is a key feature of document management systems that automates the process of searching, accessing, editing and managing electronic documents or files. With a document tracker, you can control who can view a document and see who has accessed it, what changes have been made, and who the document has been sent to.
Document tracking systems (also known as file tracking systems) are most commonly used in the financial, healthcare and legal sectors, owing to the sensitive nature of their documents.
Though document tracking systems are very similar to document management systems and are often included as a feature of DMS, they are not synonymous. The main difference is that document tracking has a more specialized focus (tracking), whereas document management systems provide a wide range of features, including collaboration, document sharing and transferring.
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There are many reasons you should track your business’s documents. First and foremost, it provides a big opportunity to optimize your daily operations by speeding up the process of filing as well as providing you with key data about your business. A document tracking system can automatically collect data on your customers, clients, investors and competitors, and reveal how your employees use (or don’t use) the documents you send out to them.
These are some things your DTS can tell you:
These are some additional benefits of a DTS:
When you’re choosing a document tracking service, there are a few features you should be sure to look for. Before you begin your search, list all the features you think you might need, and categorize them into “must have,” “would like to have” and “could live without” to help you make your decision.
Here are a few key features you should look for:
To help you choose the best document tracking software for your organization, business.com reviewed the best document management services. These are our best picks: